In the field of telephony communication, there have been many improvements in technology over the years that have contributed to more efficient use of telephone communication within hosted call-center environments. Most of these improvements involve integrating the telephones and switching systems in such call centers with computer hardware and software adapted for, among other things, better routing of telephone calls, faster delivery of telephone calls and associated information, and improved service with regard to client satisfaction. Such computer-enhanced telephony is known in the art as computer-telephony integration (CTI).
Generally speaking, CTI implementations of various design and purpose are implemented both within individual call-centers and, in some cases, at the telephone network level. For example, processors running CTI software applications may be linked to telephone switches, service control points (SCPs), and network entry points within a public or private telephone network. At the call-center level, CTI-enhanced processors, data servers, transaction servers, and the like, are linked to telephone switches and, in some cases, to similar CTI hardware at the network level, often by a dedicated digital link. CTI processors and other hardware within a call-center is commonly referred to as customer premises equipment (CPE). It is the CTI processor and application software is such centers that provides computer enhancement to a call center.
In a CTI-enhanced call center, telephones at agent stations are connected to a central telephony switching apparatus, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD) switch or a private branch exchange (PBX). The agent stations may also be equipped with computer terminals such as personal computer/video display unit's (PC/VDU's) so that agents manning such stations may have access to stored data as well as being linked to incoming callers by telephone equipment. Such stations may be interconnected through the PC/VDUs by a local area network (LAN). One or more data or transaction servers may also be connected to the LAN that interconnects agent stations. The LAN is, in turn, typically connected to the CTI processor, which is connected to the call switching apparatus of the call center.
When a call arrives at a call center, whether or not the call has been pre-processed at an SCP, typically at least the telephone number of the calling line is made available to the receiving switch at the call center by the network provider. This service is available by most networks as caller-ID information in one of several formats such as Automatic Number Identification (ANI). Typically the number called is also available through a service such as Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS). If the call center is computer-enhanced (CTI), the phone number of the calling party may be used as a key to access additional information from a customer information system (CIS) database at a server on the network that connects the agent workstations. In this manner information pertinent to a call may be provided to an agent, often as a screen pop on the agent's PC/VDU.
In recent years, advances in computer technology, telephony equipment, and infrastructure have provided many opportunities for improving telephone service in publicly-switched and private telephone intelligent networks. Similarly, development of a separate information and data network known as the Internet, together with advances in computer hardware and software have led to a new multimedia telephone system known in the art by several names. In this new systemology, telephone calls are simulated by multimedia computer equipment, and data, such as audio data, is transmitted over data networks as data packets. In this system the broad term used to describe such computer-simulated telephony is Data Network Telephony (DNT).
For purposes of nomenclature and definition, the inventors wish to distinguish clearly between what might be called conventional telephony, which is the telephone service enjoyed by nearly all citizens through local telephone companies and several long-distance telephone network providers, and what has been described herein as computer-simulated telephony or data-network telephony. The conventional systems are referred to herein as Connection-Oriented Switched-Telephony (COST) systems, CTI enhanced or not.
The computer-simulated, or DNT systems are familiar to those who use and understand computers and data-network systems. Perhaps the best example of DNT is telephone service provided over the Internet, which will be referred to herein as Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT), by far the most extensive, but still a subset of DNT.
Both systems use signals transmitted over network links. In fact, connection to data networks for DNT such as IPNT is typically accomplished over local telephone lines, used to reach points in the network such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The definitive difference is that COST telephony may be considered to be connection-oriented telephony. In the COST system, calls are placed and connected by a specific dedicated path, and the connection path is maintained over the time of the call. Bandwidth is basically assured. Other calls and data do not share a connected channel path in a COST system. A DNT system, on the other hand, is not dedicated or connection-oriented. That is, data, including audio data, is prepared, sent, and received as data packets over a data-network. The data packets share network links, and may travel by varied and variable paths.
Recent improvements to available technologies associated with the transmission and reception of data packets during real-time DNT communication have enabled companies to successfully add DNT, principally IPNT, capabilities to existing CTI call centers. Such improvements, as described herein and known to the inventor, include methods for guaranteeing available bandwidth or quality of service (QoS) for a transaction, improved mechanisms for organizing, coding, compressing, and carrying data more efficiently using less bandwidth, and methods and apparatus for intelligently replacing lost data via using voice supplementation methods and enhanced buffering capabilities.
In addition to Internet protocol (IPNT) calls, a DNT center may also share other forms of media with customers accessing the system through their computers. E-mails, Video mails, fax, file share, file transfer, video calls, and so forth are some of the other forms of media which may be used. This capability of handling varied media leads to the term multimedia communications center. A multimedia communications center may be a combination CTI and DNT center, or may be a DNT center capable of receiving COST calls and converting them to a digital DNT format. The term communication center will replace the term call center hereinafter in this specification when referring to multimedia capabilities.
In typical communication centers, DNT is accomplished by Internet connection and IPNT calls. For this reason, IPNT and the Internet will be used in examples to follow. IT should be understood, however, that this usage is exemplary, and not limiting.
In systems known to the inventors, incoming IPNT calls are processed and routed within an IPNT-capable communication center in much the same way as COST calls are routed in a CTI-enhanced call-center, using similar or identical routing rules, waiting queues, and so on, aside from the fact that there are two separate networks involved. Communication centers having both CTI and IPNT capability utilize LAN-connected agent-stations with each station having a telephony-switch-connected headset or phone, and a PC connected, in most cases via LAN, to the network carrying the IPNT calls. Therefore, in most cases, IPNT calls are routed to the agent's PC while conventional telephony calls are routed to the agent's conventional telephone or headset. Typically separate lines and equipment must be implemented for each type of call weather COST or IPNT.
Due in part to added costs associated with additional equipment, lines, and data ports that are needed to add IPNT capability to a CTI-enhanced call-center, companies are currently experimenting with various forms of integration between the older COST system and the newer IPNT system. For example, by enhancing data servers, interactive voice response units (IVR's), agent-connecting networks, and so on, with the capability of conforming to Internet protocol, call data arriving from either network may be integrated requiring less equipment and lines to facilitate processing, storage, and transfer of data.
With many new communication products supporting various media types available to businesses and customers, a communication center must add significant application software to accommodate the diversity. For example, e-mail programs have differing parameters than do IP applications. IP applications are different regarding protocol than COST calls, and so on. Separate routing systems and/or software components are needed for routing e-mails, IP calls, COST calls, file sharing, etc. Agents must then be trained in the use of a variety of applications supporting the different types of media.
Keeping contact histories, reporting statistics, creating routing rules and the like becomes more complex as newer types of media are added to communication center capability. Additional hardware implementations such as servers, processors, etc. are generally required to aid full multimedia communication and reporting. Therefore, it is desirable that interactions of all multimedia sorts be analyzed, recorded, and routed according to enterprise (business) rules in a manner that provides seamless integration between media types and application types, thereby allowing agents to respond intelligently and efficiently to customer queries and problems.
A challenge that is paramount to any enterprise dealing with a large customer-base concerns empowering customers to make informed decisions without necessarily committing a live agent or other precious resources to assist those customers. For example, it is desired that a customer configures his or her product order, or perhaps, answers his or her own questions without substantial assistance. In this way agents are free to handle other issues or problems that may arise during an active work period.
The most successful technology for empowering customers through interface is practiced on the well known Internet. In this case an interactive WEB page, sometimes known as a WEB-form, is provided by an enterprise as a customer interfacing mechanism. A WEB-page author typically adds interactive function to the page according to conventions that are well known in the art such as through Java or COM technology. Such conventions may include the use of knowledge-base technology and other WEB-connected resources maintained for the purpose of aiding customers. Such inclusion of WEB-connected resource is provided via object linking typically, to another WEB page containing a requested information source. In this way, a user may interact with such conventions thereby obtaining more information, affecting a product order, and so on. Typical conventions include banner links, on-line order forms, frequently asked question (FAQ) lists, product-presentation-interactives (PPI), and so on. In the case of using knowledge-base technology for configuring more complicated orders, downloading of an application (tool kit) to a user's computer is generally required.
Another well known convention used to empower customers is commonly referred to as a self-help wizard. A self-help wizard is a software application that is typically loaded on, or downloaded to a user's computer along with a related software application usually purchased by the user. Self-help wizards enable a user to configure downloaded applications (installation), customize software components, and initiate execution of accessory applications or special projects. Conventional self-help wizards such as the type accompanying downloaded software are limited, however, in that they are typically general in descriptive content and are often difficult to use effectively. These types of self-help applications are designed and intended for use on one's computer after download. Such wizards often have links to WEB-sourced information that is accessed through an Internet dialing function generic to the user's system.
A multimedia communication center operating an operating system such as CINOS according to disclosure provided in the patent application, or included by reference, in various embodiments provides and maintains various customer-interface options including WEB-forms. In a system known to the inventor, a customer-interfacing window is provided as a COM-based module presented in such a WEB-form or as a CTI application in a COST environment such as may be used in conjunction with an IVR. This enables the enterprise to keep track of potential and existing customers, and to control selected media options for new customers, existing customers and business associates. However, it is desired that a customer or business associate accessing CINOS through a WEB page be able to solve problems and resolve issues specific to his or her business with the enterprise without taxing resource of the enterprise.
In the CINOS system known to the inventor, customer access points are controlled in a fashion that general telephony, ordering options, media options, and the like are made-available for connection to live attendants as well as to automated systems for the purpose of qualifying customers and effecting further routine business with the enterprise. However, once a customer, for example, has committed to purchasing goods or services with the enterprise, it is desired that he or she is able to obtain any specific product or issue-related assistance in a manner so as not to tax enterprise personnel.
What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus for providing a media-independent self-help wizard that is accessible and executable from within a customer-interfacing WEB-form or customer-interfacing window that is programmable according to enterprise rules and objectives. Such a method and apparatus would allow a customer to solve specific product or service-related problems without taxing enterprise resource. In addition, connected resources such as IVR and other automated services covering a wide variety of offered system-supported media could be made accessible through such a module.